In the final installment of the Suicide Awareness Month series, Dr. George Vergolias explores the often-overlooked issue of male loneliness. Highlighting the 2023 advisory from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, Dr. Vergolias discusses the severe physical and psychological impacts of social disconnection, likening it to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
He delves into the unique challenges men face, from cultural norms around masculinity to the decline of friendships over time, and how these contribute to loneliness and increased suicidal risks. Dr. Vergolias offers actionable strategies for addressing this epidemic, such as normalizing male vulnerability, redesigning friendships, promoting intergenerational mentorship, and encouraging community engagement. This episode provides critical insights and practical steps to help mitigate loneliness among men, fostering better mental health and well-being.
00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer
01:15 Episode Overview and Previous Content Recap
01:56 The Loneliness Epidemic Among Men
02:22 Surgeon General's Advisory on Loneliness
02:42 Impact of Social Disconnection
03:50 Survey Findings on Male Loneliness
07:03 Cultural Norms and Masculinity
08:11 Decline of Male Friendships Over Time
11:05 Work and Fatherhood Pressures
12:30 Digital Disconnection
15:38 Relationship Status and Social Support
18:37 Connection Between Loneliness and Suicide
21:45 Actionable Strategies to Combat Loneliness
30:14 Conclusion and Call to Action
About the Host – The Unstressed Exec
Meet Dr. George Vergolias — a clinical and forensic corporate psychologist turned executive coach with 20+ years at the intersection of leadership, mental resilience, and high performance. George has advised Fortune 500 companies, guided C-suite leaders through crisis, and coached high-achievers to reclaim clarity, calm, and purpose without losing their edge.
On The Unstressed Exec, George brings powerful insights from the boardroom to the mic — helping leaders navigate stress, burnout, conflict, and transformation with practical tools and no-BS wisdom.
If you're ready to lead with strength and sanity, tune in. And when you're ready to go deeper, reach out for one-on-one executive or leadership coaching. This isn’t therapy — it’s your next level. Let’s build the life and leadership you actually want.
🎯 Listen. Grow. Lead — at The Unstressed Exec
📩 Stay Connected: Website: www.theunstressedexec.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.unstressed.exec
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.unstressed.exec
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.unstressed.exec
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Unstressed_Exec
If you like The Unstressed Exec podcast please leave me a review and rate!
For more info on my coaching services, keynote speaking and guest speaker/podcast opportunities, please visit my website at: www.theunstressedexec.com
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.